Running and Powerwalking!

Running and Powerwalking!
Get fit with me!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

How I got over my fear of the water

We often hear that time goes by fast when having fun. Well I have to agree. It's been 2 weeks since my last blog. During those two weeks my training has been going well AND I'm having a blast!
I am staying focused on the training program Tom Holland, Ironman Athlete and Coach for MMRF, has provided, but with a few additions. I am training for the Ottawa half marathon on Sunday, May 29th, so I have to include more running, both short and long distance.

I have also included 1-2 yoga classes per week for core strengthening and flexibility and 2-3 times a week of visualization. Why visualization?  Because it works! I have experienced first hand it's amazing benefits and I will always include visualization as part of my training. Here's why.

I am very fortunate that swimming is my strongest leg of a triathlon. I was born a fish and I absolutely love swimming as often as I can. But for some reason, as race day approached in last year's Lake Placid Ironman, I started to experience anxiety attacks in the water. I found it challenging to get past two lengths in the pool and forget about swimming in a lake! I would start to hyperventilate as soon as I started.

I had no idea what caused these attacks and it started to impact my training tremendously. I was only 4 weeks away from race day and I was PANICKING! So I decided to think outside the box and called someone I met professionally through business contacts and whose services I had used in the past. I called Donald Currie, Hypnotherapist and NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) Therapist based in Toronto, ON.     http://www.donaldcurrie.com/

Donald was someone I enjoyed working with and I liked the fact that he knew me personally and professionally. So I didn't feel embarrassed sharing with him that I had suddenly developed a fear of swimming! I booked 4 sessions with him by Skype, since I no longer live in Toronto, and we worked together over a course of 3 weeks to try to eliminate my fear before race day.

Coincidentally, while Donald and I were working together, the Pan Am Games were occurring in Toronto. One evening, I watched one of the free style races and I was blown away by the athletes technique, form, speed and the way they breathed! Thanks to the high tech cameras used to film the events,  I was able to see how the swimmers were breathing under water. I shared this with Donald during one of our sessions and immediately he asked me to describe in great detail what I saw and how it made me feel. From my description, he incorporated visualization techniques that included visualizing myself as one of those swimmers. He also sent me several audio tapes to listen to every day that would help bring these visualizations to life. Slowly, I began to incorporate these images into my swim training and finally I started to think, swim and breathe like one of those athletes!

The night before race day, I went to bed early and listened to one of his audio tapes (my favorite one) not once but twice!  I literally visualized the whole event from the time I got out of bed to crossing the finish line! The extreme details I was able to incorporate into my visualizations was remarkable. I could actually feel myself swimming in water, pushing through the hills on my bike, running up the steepest part of the course and then crossing the finish line injury free with a huge smile on my face.

The next morning, I woke up refreshed and ready to rock and roll! I was excited to get to the start line and SWIM!!!!! The result? At first, I did experience a little anxiety, which is perfectly normal for any event, but before I knew it, I was heading out of the water to the bike segment!

I still have no idea what caused my anxiety or fear of the water. But I am happy that it happened because it provided me with the opportunity to explore visualization and incorporate it into my training, then and now.



Stay active and anything is possible!
Donna





Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Reality check


I am simply gutted today. I was quickly reminded of my "why" for participating in the Lake Placid Ironman on July 24th.  I saw a very sad post today by my good friend Craig Finkbeiner's wife, Penny, that said " Ok here we go again , wondering what we're going to do since he re-lapsed ? New Chemo ? More of what's he's on ?"

I was shocked and very sad.

Craig Finkbeiner and I both trained for the Lake Placid IM last year and we soon became fast friends. During our training, he shared with me his story as a Multiple Myeloma patient. He was very humble but I knew that this disease was and still is heartbreaking and very deadly. After being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, the survival rate is 2-3 years. Craig has survived over 8 years after having over 80 chemo treatments. But that has never stopped Craig. He has completed several half Ironman's, a full Ironman along with many road races. He continuously trains hard and is like a machine! He is also so gentle, family focused and is very committed to not letting this disease stop him from living life.

Craig is a huge inspiration to me and I have asked the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation if I could partner with Craig and raise money in his honor as well as in honor of my father who passed away from a similar disease.

If you would like to donate toward MMRF's research to help find better treatments and ultimately a cure, please visit my page. Any donation would be greatly appreciated by myself and Craig. 

support.themmrf.org/donnafoster 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and may you take time today, to let someone you love know you are thinking about them.

Stay active and anything is possible!
Donna 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

February IRONMAN training

I can not believe we are already in the 2nd week of February! A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks both professionally and personally.

My IRONMAN training has increased by 2-3 hours so I have  re-directed my focus to accommodate the changes. Swimming and running has been added to my schedule but I plan on keeping the bike as my main focus. Biking is my weakest leg of the race so I want to make sure I can master biking 180 km (112 miles) with relative ease! So here is my plan for February:

Bike 2 times a week for 1 hour (mileage will increase each week)
Run 3-4 times a week: Mileage will increase each week as I prepare for the Ottawa half marathon
       which is 14 weeks away
Swim once a week for 1 hour (incorporating drills to incorporate speed, form, technique and
       endurance
Strength train 3 times a week for 1 hour (with an emphasis on core stabilization)
Yoga 1-2 times a week (more if I can fit it in!)
Visualization: Once a week for 20 minutes
Nutrition: 
After my nutrition cleanse last month, I've continued to increase eating more green vegetables  and drinking more water.  I've also managed to keep my sugar intake very low. This includes wine, desserts and pastries! This is HUGE for me and I'm looking forward to seeing how much more my training will be impacted. I have more energy, faster recovery and I'm more regular. I know, too much information, but it's important when training hard!

But the training does not stop there. I recently updated all of  my certifications: CPR, AED, Personal Training Specialist and a Healthy Eating and Weight Loss Coach. I also attended a 2 day conference with CanFit Pro and registered for some great lectures and workshops.

Essentials for fat loss
Fueling for exercise
Crazy core
Mentorship and Leadership
The truth about detox
100% crunch free core exercises
Movement training

I can not wait to implement what I learned for my clients as well as for my own training! Let the fun begin!


Stay active and anything is possible!
Donna







Monday, February 1, 2016

My 21 day eating healthy program

Saturday was the last day of my eating healthy cleanse! Surprisingly it was not that hard. Every January I do a 21 day cleanse (sometimes longer) and each year, it gets easier. But more importantly, the healthy habits I learn throughout the course of the month become a lifestyle.

Strangely enough, eliminating alcohol and caffeine was not very hard.  My biggest challenge was being prepared! I am often on the go and I did not always have healthy foods with me.  I was amazed how easy it was to buy processed foods everywhere and so hard to find a healthy snack or meal! I found myself resorting to buying a piece of fruit until I returned home. It did not take long before I started keeping nuts/seeds in my purse and bringing an apple, pear or carrots with me while traveling in between clients. My water bottle soon became my best friend and I may need a new tea container! My David's Tea carry bottle has been well used and traveled. But it was well worth all the extra thought and effort. Feeling and being healthy is much more important than how good a piece of chocolate cake taste. Of course I will indulge every so often, but I've learned to listen to my body and know when to say enough is enough. I can eat my dessert but as we all know and heard a million times before, in moderation.

Stay active (and eat well!) and anything is possible!